Double dipping: what do you do with your old discs? (1 Viewer)

[Suzanne.S]

I thought the serials exception was odd, too. I thought it might be about multiple episodes but there is no such limitation for television episodes. I may have to contact them and ask.

 

[AnthonyClarke]

All this is very interesting. I also pass my surpluses to family and friends, while trying to sell occasionally on Ebay for special offerings such as from Criterion.
And where there once used to be a feeding-frenzy for quality used DVDs, now both DVDs and Blu rays mostly languish unsold for weeks or forever. It's a reflection, I guess, of the slow death of hard media.

 

[TJPC]

When Blu rays were a new format, a DVD was usually included in selections I bought. When I upgrade to Blu ray now, if the package does not include one, I put my DVD in a paper envelope and ad it in the Blu ray case. I recycle the DVD cover.
If the DVD is already included, I take it to a store called “The Beat Goes On” when I have several, and I get a few dollars for each.

 

[atfree]

Sell them. Unless they're worthless which they usually are.

 

[Sam Favate]

I often sell the old discs, either on amazon or ebay. As long as I get enough back to cover the cost of postage, I'm fine with it.

 

[Michael1]

I can relate. I've had the 1959 BEN-HUR on Blu-Ray for a while now, but I held onto and still have my old DVD package because it also contains the 1925 version.

 

[PaulDA]

I give them away to family and friends. If they are work related titles (I frequently screen excerpts or, on occasion, whole films in class), I keep the DVD as our gear is not BD friendly. On rare occasions, I keep a DVD if it has interesting extras not on the BD release.

 

[Ron Kaledas]

We have a place near us (in Livonia, MI) called Disc Replay, that buys and sells used discs...and you get more credit for your sale if you turn around and spend the credit in the store.

I have only done it a few times, but I found that 6-8 movies I'm turning in is usually enough to get a new (used) movie from them, so it's a good way to get a movie that I was interested in somewhat but not enough to buy it new.

 

[Todd Erwin]

If I'm upgrading an older title that was in 3D and now 4K, I'll keep the 3D disc with the new 4K/Blu-ray combo, and donate the now redundant Blu-ray and/or DVD to my local library.

 

[gruagach]

I donate them to the public library. They will either absorb them into the system or sell them.

 

[PMF]

I like the Suzanne.S solution best; mainly, because, I suspect that those in a VA hospital are unable to get to a library. So, bring that library to them.
As for creating space? I recommend kicking out the kids, the spouse and any other tenant at will. Talk about extras.

 

[cb1]

I give them away to friends who want them.

 

[Race Bannon]

I don't often double-dip, so I just leave them on the shelf next tot he newer disk. Interesting bit of history on the shelf.

I resisted buying a huge collection of DVD's (probably had less than 100 at peak), so that probably reduced a lot of my double-dips. My "double blu-ray" double dips have probably numbered less than 10. And many of them are because of boxed sets versus singles. So I consider the singles kind of handy if it's the same transfer.

I have a big shelf that is not quite full. When it fills up, I may get more serious about culling it, and then things will get serious about pruning double dips. I'll probably take them to the local used book store (which also buys movies).

 

[skylark68]

I'm at a stage currently with my collection that it seriously needs to be culled down quite a bit. Especially with old DVD's. I appreciate all of these different approaches to dispatch of them. I hadn't ever thought of the VA but that sounds like a very worthwhile way to do so.

I had previously taken boxes of DVD's to Half Price Books but it's usually pennies on the dollar (unless it's something high in demand). Might as well give them away to something/someone much more deserving.

 

[TJPC]

These discs really spin well. How about donating to a local skeet shooting range and giving extra points if you shoot through the hole?

 

[DaveF]

In the past I've sold used discs on eBay. I've also given away some to family or friends. Today, I don't know. I don't have the patience / time for the modest money eBay brings. And friends / family are also moving to streaming more so giving away DVDs is just giving them more junk; even blu's can be the same.

Today, I'd probably either throw them away or maybe donate to the library or such.

In the case of a specific disc with some perceived quirk of its authorship, it depends. If it's something like a sub/dubtitle personal preference then sell it or give it away. If friends don't want it because they feel the same, well that's the normal situation of friends not wanting a disc for whatever reason.

If it's a serious authorship problem, like when Monty Python and the Holy Grail had always-on subtitles, I'd probably just throw the disc away (since I never did get that replaced... )

 

[Kyrsten Brad]

For the most part, I've been selling my old DVDs (and duplicate or superseded Blus) to Screen Archives. Only get donuts on the dollar but I've managed to get back around $150 or so.

Starting now with TT's Kid Galahad (1962), I'll be purchasing a 2-disc Blu case (from TT and putting both my new Blu and the previous DVD. Oh and I'll port the TT artwork over to the new case.

 

[MatthewA]

I've gotten burned on DVD-to-Blu-ray "upgrades" that were anything but (this means you, The Sword in the Stone) and also on a trade-off between improved picture and sound and more comprehensive extras. So I wait and see whether an upgrade is truly a net gain before I take advantage of it.

 

[Richard M S]

I am 53 so to be honest, at my age most of my friends and family member want less "stuff" and and would not be amenable to receiving my old media.

So when a "better" edition is announced and there are enough new extras for me to buy it, my first stop is EBAY. As long as I can clear $5 and up, I'll list the blu-ray disc or the Criterion DVD.

With a few exceptions - such as when a just-deceased celebrity is the star, or it's a Criterion DVD - DVDs rarely sell these days. Oh, I also sold the older, "less restored" dvd version of Lost Horizon recently, but that's it.

All of those other dvds and unsold blu-rays get dumped into a shopping bag in my closet, and every 9 months or so I bring them to the essential Academy Records on West 18th s here in New York. The guys there are great and I sold quite a few things for immediate cash - records and cds are purchased there as well, and it is usually crowded whenever I go.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

We have a place near us (in Livonia, MI) called Disc Replay, that buys and sells used discs...and you get more credit for your sale if you turn around and spend the credit in the store.

I have only done it a few times, but I found that 6-8 movies I'm turning in is usually enough to get a new (used) movie from them, so it's a good way to get a movie that I was interested in somewhat but not enough to buy it new.

I live pretty close to Livonia. I will have to check out that store, Ron. Thanks for posting this.